Day 254-Medical Minute- Is Green Tea Better For Your Body?

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Morning everyone, whatcha drinking this morning? I’m drinking my bulletproof coffee as usual, but I have to tell you about my latest passion…green tea. I know, I’m late to the party, lots of people have been on this kick way longer than me. What I discovered was a new, fresh flavor that I am enjoying in Ice Tea and I like it so much, I’m ready to make a permanent switch from black tea. I did a little research (surprise, surprise), and what I found out is nothing that most people don’t already know, but was good news to me.

Here is my new flavor, (I’m gonna need a bigger box!)-Orange Passionfruit Jasmine (made by Lipton) and I make it by the pitcher and sweeten it with my Pyure brand stevia. It’s fresh and citrusy, light and delicious taste make it an instant favorite, although I’m sure I will want to try other flavors that are available. So sit back, grab a cup of something tasty, and a bowl of that delicious oatmeal you hopefully made yesterday, and let me tell you what I discovered about this ancient tea.

My new favorite!

So you know, all tea comes from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), the difference is in the processing. Green tea has been steamed to stop the oxidation process that occurs naturally in black tea when dried.

Tea fields in Portugal

Green tea is naturally lower in caffeine: 15-25mg compared to black tea: 40-70mg and oolong tea: 18-33. Oolong tea leaves are partially fermented, making it the middle on the processed scale.

Green tea has higher amounts of catechins and vitamin C than black tea because of the fermentation process. Catechins are a type of disease-fighting flavonoid and antioxidants and are responsible for a reduction in body fat, according to some studies. Green tea also has more polyphenols-40% compared to black tea which has about 10%. These compounds help protect you from free radicals-potentially damaging chemicals. They can also be found in apples. (maybe that’s where the old saying came from)

Steeping whole leaves

Green tea was first discovered in China and there are many varieties, but it’s production has spread to other countries as well. Gyokuro is from Japan and is one of the highest grades of Japanese tea. It is grown in the shade which makes it a higher quality green tea.

Gunpowder tea, or “Pearl tea” dates back to the Tang Dynasty and is named that because it looks like tiny pellets until brewed and then it explodes into a leaf form. It also has a smoky flavor and one of my favorite bloggers (MSGT3227) loves the stuff! There are several varieties, each with their own distinctive flavors ranging from honey to smoky to grassy, minty or peppery.

Gunpowder teaReady for steeping

Much has been made of the benefits of drinking green tea over black tea, but all tea is good for you and each have different redeeming qualities because of the fermentation process. Tea is preferred over sugary soda, for instance and that is the reason I drink water and ice tea all day long. (after my coffee of course) The effects of green tea have been studies for years, but science has concluded that the touted benefits are only found in vitro and not in humans. Darn! Many claims have been made that it can:

Help you lose weight

lower blood cholesterol

lower blood sugar

lower blood pressure

Treats or kills cancer

However, science has concluded that there is no conclusive evidence that any of these claims are true. If you were to drink up to three cups a day, and were an Asian or a woman, you might have a 4% longer mortality rate than everyone else. Ok, I can live with that…see what I did there? 😉

I reviewed several sources for this article and found no one could promise that green tea is better than black tea, but that both were beneficial. Just being honest here. For me, the taste makes it the clear winner in my book, and for that reason I will make the switch…now, I did see that adding things like lemon juice may boost some of the added fat burning abilities it has but also that adding milk totally negates any good that would come from drinking it. So, for me, I will continue to drink it iced, thank you very much. 🙂

I hope I have given you a better idea of whether green tea is beneficial to you, give it a try and let me know what you think! For now, I’m off to get a glass and start working on my next installment in Friday’s series Angels of Arvada. I don’t want it to sneak up on me and then have no idea what to write. See you tomorrow when I either review a new product I’m using or Throwback to a younger, nostalgic time. See you then!

I prefer Green Tea (better then Orange pekoo or those other black teas, too much Tannin gives me a stomach ache). I drink it when ever I feel I need a immune boost! I used to be addicted to Celestial Seasonings “Sleepy Time Tea”….I collected all their Special Editions tins, then sold them for $5.00 ea., I still have a couple. I still love my coffee (strong, black,strong) in the morning!

I’m glad to hear it, although I can’t drink my coffee black, lol. Don’t know how you do that, I gotta have my bulletproof coffee-it only takes one cup! The green tea I prefer iced. 🙂 Hope you feel good today!

Badia Ground Flax

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